Council to vote on synthetic drug ban

Tonight, the Neosho City Council will take their first vote toward banning the sale of synthetic drugs in city limits.

Whitney Saporito

Tonight, the Neosho City Council will take their first vote toward banning the sale of synthetic drugs in city limits.

The council meets at 7 p.m. this evening at the Neosho City Hall Council Chambers, 203 E. Main St.In their April 2 meeting, council members reviewed and expressed support for two ordinances written by city attorney Steve Hays, which would crack down on the sale of the synthetic products in Neosho city limits.

Proposed ordinance 215.680, which focuses on bath salts, states that it would prohibit, "the sale, offer for sale, purchase with intent to sell or public display for sale, of synthetic stimulant bath salts, synthetic cathinones, synthetic amphetamines and other synthetic stimulants that mimic illegal drugs."

Meanwhile, proposed ordinance 215.690, focused on synthetic marijuana, prohibits the sale, purchase with intent to sell, or public display for sale of synthetic cannabinoid herbal incense.

In June 2012, the council voted to approve a resolution opposing the sale of "synthetic cannabis products" in city limits, however, the city currently does not have an ordinance on the books to prosecute the sale of those products.

Synthetic stimulants are packaged and legally sold as products such as bath salts, though Hays said they have similar effects to narcotics such as cocaine and heroin. Meanwhile, synthetic cannabinoids, sold as herbal incense, are used as a legal alternative to marijuana.

While the state of Missouri has banned the sale of some synthetic marijuana products, including K-2, makers have changed the chemical compounds to get around the state law.

Councilman Charles Collinsworth said in the April 2 meeting that the council had wanted to pass an ordinance that would stick.

"I hope that Neosho will be a beacon for good things," Collinsworth said.

Earlier in this evening's meeting, council is scheduled to adjourn sine die, when recently re-elected councilmen Tom Workman and Steve Hart will be administered the oath of office.

The two ran unopposed in the April election.

Once council reconvenes, city clerk Nora Houdyshell will conduct the election of the mayor. The elected mayor will then conduct election of the mayor pro tempore.

• Council members will consider awarding three bids. Council will consider two bids for the repair of the stairway in Big Spring Park, with a bid of $51, 219 from Construction Services Group of Neosho for the labor, and $3,050 from Allgeier, Martin and Associates, for the engineering. A third bid, of $280 from Twin Oaks Cabinets, will be considered for the Neosho Police Department's surplus radios.

• Council will consider on first reading an alley vacate request from Neosho resident Ronald Bunzel, for the first 156 feet of the alley on the south side of West Grand Avenue, between 111 West Grand Avenue and 105 West Grand Avenue.

• Council members are also scheduled to consider on first reading annexation of the property located at 2502 Lusk Drive, known as the Links Professional Center. An application was accepted from Raymond and Deanna McClelland requesting the annexation into city limits. The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing April 1 and no opposition was voiced.

• Council members will also consider on first reading a request from the Neosho Police Department to declare six light bars, five rear transport seats and two half cages surplus, and allow them to be gifted or loaned to another police department. The items are no longer used by Neosho police. The Neosho Police Department is also requesting that council declare as surplus 18 out-dated computers, four monitors and a printer which are out of service.

• Council members will vote on first reading on a proposed budget amendment for the Public Works Department, reflecting expenses from the road improvements at Highway 59 and Clemons Drive.

• Council members are also scheduled to consider on first reading a proposal to rezone the property located at 222 South Business 49, which previously served as a Ford car dealership. An application, submitted by Great Southern Bank, was submitted to rezone the property from C-3 commercial business district to M-1, light industrial, for the purpose of sale of the property to a bulk oil and warehousing company.

The Planning and Zoning Commissionheld a public hearing April 1, at which time four local property owners protested the rezoning.

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend that council deny the rezoning request.

• Council members will also consider a rezoning request from Dave McGarrah for the property located at 819 Rocketdyne Road.

McGarrah has requested that his property be rezoned from R-1, first dwelling house district to C-3, commercial business district for the purpose of construction of a billboard.

At a public hearing April 1, 14 local property owners protested the rezoning. The Planning and Zoning Commission also received a petition from 60 residents in the area, who also protested the zoning change. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend that council deny the zoning change.

• Council will also consider allowing Kyle Franklin of Time Traveler Enterprises, LLC, to hold an air show at Neosho's Hugh Robinson Memorial Airport in early October. The council will also consider what level of sponsorship, if any, they would be interested in pursuing with Time Traveler Enterprises, LLC. The sponsorship levels range from $2,500 to $50,000.

• Council members will consider a $2,000 co-sponsorship agreement with AMI Radio Group for the city's Celebrate Neosho event, set for June 29.

• Council members are scheduled to consider, on final reading, several amendments to the budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2012. Those adjustments include: a request to amend the budget to allow for a $5,000 increase for animal control; a request to amend the budget to allow for the purchase of four new ladders for the city's swimming pool, at a cost of $1,450. 95.; a request to amend the budget to allow for the costs associated with supplying uniforms for employees at the Neosho Recycling Center; a request to amend the city's budget to allow for $13,776 in additional charges at the Hugh Robinson Memorial Airport, for repair of the airport fuel truck, fuel storage systems and pumping system; a request to amend the city's budget to allow for $2,448 in work at the Lampo Center's south entrance door and kitchen; and a request to amend the city's budget to allow for $4,000 to be added for the removal of the large hangar at the airport, which is located to the south of the terminal.

• Council will announce vacancies that exist on the airport industrial development board; board of adjustments/zoning; economic development sales tax committee; parks, recreation and golf course board, and the planning and zoning commission, as well as appoint council representatives to the committees.

• Council is also scheduled to meet in closed session to discuss legal and personnel issues.